MOLPASTES. 271 



coverts hoary white, with the lores, cheeks, and only the point of 

 the chin black ; the remaining lower plumage ashy brown, whiter 

 on the abdomen ; and the hind neck and back a paler brown with 

 broader edges. 



Bill, legs, feet, and claws black ; iris brown to dark brown 

 (/I ii uie $ Davison)', iris light brown (Wardlaw Ramsay). 



Length about 8-5 ; taS 3'7 ; wing 3'6 ; tarsus '9 ; bill from 

 gape -9. 



Distribution. Karennee and Tenasserim down to about the 13th 

 degree of latitude. This species is not found west of the Sittoung 

 river. It inhabits the hilly and well-wooded parts of the country 

 up to 2000 feet of elevation, and it extends into China, where it is 

 abundant. 



Habits, Qc. A. nest of this bird with three eggs was found in 

 Tenasserim by Darling on the 16th March. 



282. Molpastes Jbengalensis. The Bengal Red-vented Bulbul. 



Ixos cafer, v. pygaeus, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 84 (descr. 



nulla, 1844). 

 Pycnonotus bengalensis, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xiv, p. 566 (1845) ; id. 



Cat. p4209. 

 Pycnonotus pygaeus (Hodys,), Horsf. fy M. Cat. i, p. 239 ; Jerd. 



B. I. ii, p. 93 ; Godw.-Aust.J. A. S. B. xliii. pt. ii. p. 178 ; Sharpe, 



Cat. B. M. vi, p. 128. 

 Molpastes pygaeus (Hodgs.), Hume, N. 8f E. p. 290 ; Cripps, S. F. 



vii, p. 281; Hume, Cat. no. 461; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 296. 

 Molpastes bengalensis (Blyth), Oates in Hume's N. fy JE. 2nd ed. i, 



p. 174. 



The Common Bulbul, Jerd. ; Bulbul, Hind. ; Kala Bulbul, Beng. ; 

 Mancliph-pho, Lepch. ; Paklom, Bhut. 



Coloration. Resembles M. hcemorrhous in general appearance. 

 Differs in having the ear-coverts chocolate-brown, and, with this 

 exception, the whole head, neck, upper back, chin, throat, and 

 upper breast deep glossy black ; the lower breast black, margined 

 with white ; and the remainder of the lower plumage ashy brown, 

 except the under tail-coverts, which are, as usual, crimson ; the 

 lower back blackish margined with grey. 



Iris brown; bill and legs black (Cockburn). 



Length about 9 ; tail 4-2 ; wing 4-2 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from gape *9. 



Distribution. The lower ranges of the Himalayas from Kumaun 

 to the head of the Assam valley ; Oudh ; Northern Behar ; Bengal, 

 east of the longitude of Burdwan ; Assam and its hill-ranges ; 

 Dacca ; Cachar ; Tipperah. I have also seen a specimen from 

 Manipur, where, however, M. burmanicus is the prevailing species. 

 Jerdon asserts that this Bulbul extends to Central India, north of 

 the Nerbudda river. This may be the case, but I have myself 

 seen no specimen from any locality other than those above men- 

 tioned. In the Himalayas it is found up to about 7000 feet. 

 ^Habits, &fc. This Bulbui appears to breed from April to June, and 

 probably both before and after that period. Its mode of nidifica- 



